Find out how popular the last name Molina is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Molina.

Molina, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Molina surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Molina in America

Molina is the 320th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Molina surname appeared 96,979 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 33 people would have the surname Molina.

We can also compare 2010 data for Molina to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Molina

The surname Molina originates from Spain and traces its roots back to the 11th century. It is derived from the Spanish word "molino," which means "mill." The name likely originated in areas where mills were prevalent or owned by families involved in milling operations.

One of the earliest known references to the name Molina can be found in the Becerro de las Behetrías, a medieval record of landholdings and properties from the 14th century. This document mentions individuals with the surname Molina residing in various regions of Spain, including Castile and León.

During the Middle Ages, the name Molina was often associated with noble families or those with ties to the milling industry. In the late 15th century, a prominent figure named Luis de Molina (1535-1600) emerged as a renowned Jesuit scholar and theologian, known for his contributions to the doctrine of divine grace.

Another notable individual with the surname Molina was Tirso de Molina (1579-1648), a Spanish playwright and poet who gained fame for his works, including the play "El Burlador de Sevilla y Convidado de Piedra," which introduced the legendary character of Don Juan.

In the 17th century, Juan Ignacio Molina (1679-1736) was a Spanish painter known for his religious works and portraits, many of which can be found in churches and museums throughout Spain.

Moving forward to the 19th century, José Joaquín Molina (1825-1890) was a prominent Chilean naturalist and explorer who made significant contributions to the study of the flora and fauna of Chile.

Another individual of note was Enrique Molina Campos (1871-1964), a Chilean politician and diplomat who served as the President of Chile from 1925 to 1927.

The surname Molina has also been associated with various place names throughout Spain, such as Molina de Aragón and Molina de Segura, further emphasizing its connection to the milling industry and the geographic areas where mills were once abundant.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Molina

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Molina.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Molina was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Molina has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Molina was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Molina, please contact us.

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